Irresistible Impulse
by BatNeko
Summary: One case of insomnia and one bottle of expensive brandy lead to a latenight confession and a whole lot of trouble. Can Edgeworth handle the results of his actions?  Can Phoenix convince him that feelings aren't the enemy?
1. Bad Decisions

**Irresistible Impulse**

_In criminal law, irresistible impulse is a defense by excuse, in this case some sort of insanity, in which the defendant argues that they should not be held criminally liable for their actions that broke the law, because they could not control those actions._**  
**

Thank you, Wikipedia.

**Chapter1**.

BAM BAM BAM

There was some kind of pounding invading Phoenix's valuable REM sleep.

BAM BAM BAM

Construction work? No, it was too early.

BAM BAM BAM BAM

Upstairs neighbor? Doubtful, she was seventy years old.

BAM BAM BAM

Aw hell, that was the door wasn't it? _His_ door. Who in their right mind would be knocking on his door in the middle of the night? Maya liked a good night's sleep even more then he did.

The knocking stopped. Phoenix snuggled his pillow and tried to recapture his dream. It had been a good one. Miles had been wearing leather pants.

_BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!_

Muttering to himself, Phoenix opened his eyes and fumbled for the clock. 3:24. Seriously? All right, now he was just curious.

Phoenix found his bathrobe on the floor and stumbled out into the living room. By the time he found the lightswitch and one of his slippers, the knocking had degenerated to a kind of wistful rapping. Whoever it was seemed to be trying to tap out some kind of melody, but kept forgetting the notes or switching songs.

"I'm coming!" Phoenix shouted, realizing belatedly that there might be an actual _reason_ for this interruption. The knocking stopped, just as he reached the door and twisted the knob.

Miles Edgeworth stood in the hall, blinking owlishly. He was missing his cravat and his vest, and his pink (Phoenix recalled Edgeworth calling it magenta, but he simply couldn't think of it as anything but pink) suit jacket hanging off one shoulder. His hair was mussed and he was swaying slightly.

"Edgeworth?" Phoenix said out of sheer shock, both at the man and his condition.

Edgeworth's bloodshot eyes focused on Phoenix after a pause that was just slightly too long to be blamed on the hour, and he pointed dramatically.

"You!" Edgeworth shouted. "'S'all _your_ fault."

"Oh good," Phoenix said dryly. "You're _drunk_."

Edgeworth pushed past him into the apartment, and Phoenix shut the door before his neighbors got curious.

"'Ever'thing tha's happened has been all _your_ fault," Edgeworth continued, waving his arms and pacing. "'F'it wasn't for you I'd still be _depressed_ an' _miserable_. But at least I wouldn't be depressed an' miserable an' _confused_." He stopped and swayed dangerously. Phoenix automatically grabbed his arm to keep him steady, and Edgeworth swung his head around to glare at the shorter man.

"'S'all your fault," he muttered again. "Wha's up with your hair?"

"What?" Phoenix said. His mind was racing wildly, trying to figure out what to do. He'd never been in this particular situation before, and he was somewhat distracted by both the view of Edgeworth's collarbone and the reek of brandy that was coming from his pores.

"Your _hair_." Edgeworth reached out and grabbed a handful, not hard. "'S'not spikey."

"I was _sleeping_."

"Y'use gel?"

"Of course. Did you think it was natural?"

Edgeworth just blinked at him.

"Uh, look Edgeworth, why don't I call you a cab? You- Wait, how did you even get here? And how do you know where I live?"

"Drove past it." He released Phoenix's hair and waved his hand again, nearly falling over from the momentum. "Lotsa times. Middle'a the night. Sometimes 'afore work. Go an' lean on th' door when I know yer not a' home."

Phoenix realized his mouth was hanging open. "What- Why? Do you hate me that much?"

Edgeworth burst out laughing. The loud over-the-top laugh of the completely hammered. "Hate you? I prolly should! Affer ever'thing you've caused! Makin' me question ever'thing about myself. Ever'thing 've ever done. Ever! Makin' me remember what it was like to be happy!"

He grabbed hold of the front of Phoenix's bathrobe and leaned in close, too close, breathing fumes in his face. Under any other circumstances… "I didn' _remember_. I thought all I needed was t' be successful an' win all th' time an' punish criminals an' that was all I needed! But you came back an' you were always smilin' an' you had friends…" he swayed back. "An' you _believed_ in people! You trusted people! You trusted _me_."

He let go of Phoenix and shook off his grip, stumbling away and flailing his arms. "'F'it wasn' for you I'd still be Miles Edgeworth, the demon prosecutor, who always gets a guilty verdict! 'Stead of Miles Edgeworth, the big GAY prosecutor, who always gets a guilty verdict 'cept when he's against the defense attorney he's got a big GAY crush on!"

For a second, time seemed to stop. Edgeworth was still doing a decent impression of a crazy street person, but Phoenix couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything. He was aware of his voice saying "What?" but it didn't break through his reverie. It wasn't until Edgeworth made a full circuit of the small living room and wound up shouting directly in his face again that he remembered what a bad situation this was.

"…an' yer stupid _letters_ soundin' all _worried_, an' _carin'_ about me and your damn _damn_ convictions."

"Edgeworth." He grabbed the man by the shoulders. "You're drunk. I don't think you realize what you're saying."

"I'm _saying_ I'm in goddamn _love_ with you an' it's all _your_ fault!" He put his hands on Phoenix's ribs and leaned in close again. "An' my name is _Miles_. Y'keep saying it in public when ya don't remember, an' then I have to go splash my face with cold water. Why y'gotta be so cute?"

Phoenix swallowed hard. "Look, uh, Miles. I really think you ought to get home and get some sleep. And, um, drink some water. Lots of water. Water is…uh…" Edgeworth's hand was drifting down his side. "Water is good."

"'S'all your fault," Miles muttered again, then his grip tightened around Phoenix's waist, and he knocked him over onto the couch.

There was a moment of awkward and FAR too pleasant squirming, then Miles wound up lying on top of Phoenix, their faces almost even. His eyes transfixed Phoenix, another moment frozen in time.

"M- Miles," Phoenix forced himself to say. "Please. You're drunk. This isn't…"

Miles ignored him, closing his eyes and moving his head down oh-so-slowly until their lips were a hair's breadth apart. "I don't want to feel the way you make me feel…"

The rush of desire Phoenix had been fighting since Miles had first grabbed hold of him suddenly swept through him, and he dug his fingers into Miles' sides. "Miles…"

And with that, Miles collapsed on top of him, his head bouncing off Phoenix's collarbone.

Phoenix prodded him a couple of times, then sighed and leaned back.

"Perfect."

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AN:

This is my first attempt at Phoenix Wright fanfiction, and to be honest I have no idea what I'm doing. I originally pictured this story as a multi-page comic, until I realized I have neither the time nor the patience to complete it. So I'm just sort of fumbling my way through, hoping others appreciate my sense of humor.

Please bear with me.

Oh, and for the record, this story happens some time after all three of the games. Here's hoping that new one with the penguin-looking kid doesn't make cancel all this out.


	2. The Morning After

**Chapter 2.**

Phoenix was hovering on the edge of sleep, half-aware that he probably should have woken up some time ago, but for some reason he more tired then usual. Also, something was off about where exactly he was sleeping. It was uncomfortable and his toes were mashed up against something hard. And he was wearing his bathrobe. Why was he-

"_WRIGHT_!"

Phoenix sat up so quickly his back cracked. Taking stock as quickly as he could given his state of mind, he noted that he was on the couch, covered in a spare sheet, and Miles Edgeworth was standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

The man looked awful. His hair and his clothes were equally rumpled, and his eyes were so red he looked like a member of the undead. The murderous glare on his face didn't help that impression.

"What…the _hell_ am I doing here?" Miles demanded. He sounded like he was in pain.

"You don't remember?" Phoenix asked, more then a little relieved.

"I remember…" he leaned against the doorframe and rubbed his face. "I couldn't sleep. I was going through old case files. I…got out the brandy. Oh _shit_."

Phoenix tossed off the sheet and stood up, crossing the small room. "Are you okay?"

"No I am not okay! I…" The color drained from his already-pale face as he seemed to realize something. "Wright. _Please_ tell me I did not _drive_ here."

Five minutes later they were standing in the small parking lot next to Phoenix's apartment building. Miles' red hot car was parked at an awkward angle between two spaces, the passenger-side mirror snapped off and the body covered in dents and scrapes.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Miles announced.

"There's a trash can over there," Phoenix pointed.

He politely ignored Miles for the next several minutes, and pretended to be interested in the damage to the car. It _looked_ pretty bad, the paint job was ruined, but there didn't seem to be any body damage. The bumpers were miraculously fine.

Miles joined him after a while, not saying a word. He made a cursory examination, then went to get in the front seat.

"Hey," Phoenix grabbed his sleeve. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving," Miles snapped. "This is embarrassing enough as it is."

Phoenix shook his head. "Not yet. You can barely walk. Come back upstairs. I'll make some coffee and, uhm, I have an extra toothbrush…"

Miles winced, then nodded. "That would be…nice."

Miles wound up brushing his teeth for a full six minutes, Phoenix was keeping track, then joined the other man at the kitchen bar. He took the offered coffee without a word, and chugged half the cup.

"I think your car is going to all right," Phoenix said brightly.

Miles grunted.

"Up, you can probably tell your insurance company you were just tired… That whole asleep-at-the-wheel thing is getting a lot of press lately."

"God knows why," Miles muttered. He drained the rest of the cup.

Phoenix took it from him without waiting to be asked (knowing Miles he wouldn't have asked anyway) and went to refill it.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" Miles exploded suddenly. "What was I _thinking_? I could have _killed_ myself trying to drive in that condition, not to mention coming _here_ of all places!"

"I, uh, I think you had a reason. Or you thought you did."

"What? What reason could I possibly have had?"

Phoenix bit the inside of his lip and looked resolutely at the coffee machine.

"Wright," Miles said. He leaned against the counter, supporting his forehead with one hand. "What… what happened last night?" He glared at Phoenix through his disheveled bangs. "And tell me the truth. It's better that I know."

Phoenix busied himself with pouring coffee, stalling. "Well, uh, you just sort of showed up here…at three-thirty in the morning." He glanced back at Miles, checking his reaction, and saw no change. "Um, you yelled a lot. Rambling really."

"What did I say?"

"A lot of things…"

"_Summarize it_," he growled.

Phoenix considered this for a long moment. On the one hand, maybe it was better if Miles knew. He wouldn't have to pretend any more, and maybe they could even…

On the other hand, it would embarrass him. It was obvious he didn't want Phoenix to know the things he'd said last night. He probably didn't want _anyone_ to know. Phoenix had his share of secrets, very…similar secrets, and if it were him…

If it were him, he would want to know.

"You said you were depressed," Phoenix said. "You said you were questioning yourself a lot, and you said it was my fault. You said…" He paused, and glanced back and Miles one last time. "You said you loved me, and you pinned me to the couch and tried to kiss me."

He heard Miles' forehead hit the counter, and something between a groan and a sob.

"Sorry," he said softly. "It's just… You did ask me to tell you the truth."

"I did," Miles agreed after a long pause. He took a deep shuddering breath. "Well. That's that then." Phoenix turned to see him getting to his feet. "I apologize, Wright. My actions were inexcusable. I must have made you…very uncomfortable."

"Well, actually-"

"I'll leave now. Thank you for… Thank you." He pushed away from the counter and started across the room.

"Edgeworth-"

He stopped just before the door. "I would consider it a personal favor if you would not tell anyone about this. Any of this. I assure you…it will never happen again. I intend to remove every drop of alcohol from my home and…" His head turned, just enough for Phoenix to see a bit of his profile. His lips were trembling. "I have _no_ intention of pursuing any kind of…non-professional relationship with you. I will make an effort of avoiding you from now on. You do not need to be concerned."

"I'm not concerned, Edgeworth. I-"

"_Goodbye_, Wright." He twisted the doorknob firmly and opened the door.

Maya Fay was standing in front of him, her fist poised to knock. She was carrying a newspaper and a bag from a nearby deli, and her face looked ready to smile.

She stared up at Edgeworth.

He stared back, horrified.

Her gaze shifted, and she saw Phoenix halfway across the living room, caught in the act of trying to catch Miles.

She looked back at Miles.

Then Maya squealed and clasped her hands together, a smile as bright as the sun on her face.

Miles slammed the door shut and threw his back against it, as though trying to keep out some horrible monster from beyond the stars.

Phoenix was laughing helplessly. It was too perfect!

"Knock if off, Wright," Miles snapped. "I am trying to make this as- as little awkward as possible, and it seems like the _universe_ is conspiring against me."

Maya was pounding on the door behind him. "Nick! Nick! Phoenix Wright you open this door right now!"

"Relax, Edgeworth," Phoenix said, still smiling. "You can trust Maya. She's helped you out before, remember?"

"I don't want to _have_ to trust her. I don't want-"

"I won't tell anyone, Nick!" Maya shouted.

"See?" Phoenix said.

"I just want to hear all the sweaty details!"

Miles groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Don't worry," Phoenix repeated. He was right in front of Miles now, close enough to touch him. "I'll tell her what really happened."

Miles shot him a glare.

"I'll tell her _most_ of what really happened."

"I suppose…I don't really have a choice," Miles muttered. He straightened up and started to turn.

"Oh, and Miles?"

Phoenix pressed his hands against the door on either side of the other man, effectively trapping him between his arms. Miles automatically leaned back, away from him, until he bumped into the door. Phoenix leaned even closer, breaking all the personal space rules, until his face was close enough to feel the trembling of Miles' breath.

"What you said last night? It didn't make me uncomfortable. It didn't make me uncomfortable _at all_…"

Then he reached down and yanked open the door, pushing Miles in front of him into the hallway.

"Well, you'd better get home and get some rest!"

Miles stumbled into the hallway in wild-eyed confusion, recovering enough to shoot another poisonous glare at the smiling Phoenix. Who simply waved at him, ignoring Maya's questions and Miles' anger, took hold of the girl's arm and pulled her into the apartment.

The door clicked shut, and Phoenix quickly hushed her. He stood on his toes and looked out the peephole, watching as Miles stared at the door, shook his head, and finally headed off down the hallway.

Then he sank to the floor and laughed.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AN

Don't drink and drive, kids!


	3. Third Parties

**Chapter 3. Third Parties**

"There he goes again," Maya reported, she sounded slightly shocked. "That makes it…four, today."

"Mm," Phoenix replied from his desk. Maya had been perched by the window all day, in a state something like awe, watching as Edgeworth's car passed back and forth beneath them.

"Isn't this stalking, Nick?"

"I dunno. I think it's only stalking if I mind."

Maya smirked at him. "And you don't mind?"

"You know I don't."

In the past week, Maya had managed to worm quite a few details out of him. And what he hadn't told her, she'd guessed. He was very careful not to confirm or deny any of the facts…but somehow Maya knew.

"But I don't know why," she protested. "I don't see why you can't tell me about any of this. At least tell me how _you_ feel about _him_."

Phoenix didn't say anything.

"At least deny it!"

"Why?"

"Because if you do then I will be able to see if you're lying or not, duh."

Phoenix just shook his head. "What do you want to hear from me, Maya?"

"Something! Anything! You can't pretend you don't care about him at all, 'cause I know you do. You consider him a friend at least."

"That's true," Phoenix agreed. "Although I'm not sure if he considers me one."

"He must, if he spent the night at your house."

"You know it wasn't like that."

"Then what _was_ it like?"

"Odd," Phoenix admitted. "I've never seen him like that. He normally bottles things up, and it was like the bottle just…exploded."

Maya stared at him.

"What?"

She sighed and turned back to the window. "I will never understand you, Nick."

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual."

There were a few moments of rare silence, during which Phoenix actually managed to get some work done. Maya leaned her forehead against the glass and stared down at the street.

"Five," she muttered.

"Mm."

"I think Mr. Edgeworth may need some therapy."

"You'll get no arguments from me."

She tilted her head, following the red hot car with her eyes. "Looks like he's going back toward his place. Funny, I thought he usually worked late."

"How do you know where he lives?"

"I just know. I even know which bus…" She trailed off, and Phoenix could see her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Always a bad sign.

"All right, Nick!" Maya spun around dramatically. "If you're not going to do anything about this, I _will_!"

"Maya!"

"I mean it!" She started crossing the office and Phoenix jumped up from his desk.

"Maya, no! This is none of your business!"

"I won't tell him you told me anything."

"Because I _didn't_."

"But I'm doing…something!" She flailed her arms. "I'm doing something because you are my friend and I like Mr. Edgeworth a lot too and you're both being _stupid_!" She stood still and panted for a few moments. "I've got a bus to catch." She pointed at him sternly. "Don't you _dare_ leave before I get back."

Somehow, Phoenix just couldn't bring himself to stop her.

…………………………………………

There was a familiar smell of perfume and warm leather as Edgeworth entered his living room. He heard a clatter from the kitchen and muttering in German, and ignored it long enough to go up to his study and put his briefcase away. Then a loud crash and a feminine screech of "Scheiße!" informed him he couldn't ignore it any more.

"Good evening, Franziska," Edgeworth said, pulling on his usual blanket of calm.

"Ah, hallo." She waved to him distractedly from her position on the floor. "I apologize for the mess. I was looking for that bottle of brandy you had stashed away."

"I stashed it away for a reason. Besides, I thought you said alcohol was a foolish drink that makes foolish fools behave even more foolishly."

"Ah, well… There are times when one _wants_ to feel a bit foolish." She got to her feet and adjusted her skirt primly. "So. Where is it?"

"Gone."

"What?" Franziska looked utterly devastated. "Why?"

"I drank it."

"Oh…" She kicked a pot, but her heart clearly wasn't in it. "Verdammt."

"Was there something you wanted? Or could you not bring yourself to solicit men for drinks?"

"I just…" she straightened up. "Do I need a reason to visit my little brother?"

"Ah. You got the letter then." Edgeworth moved past her and started picking up his scattered kitchen appliances.

"Ja," Franziska answered after a long moment. She picked up a box of noodles and started helping.

They had the whole mess cleaned up in just a few minutes, years of training paying off. Franziska didn't have to ask where anything went, since Edgeworth had his food and cooking utensils neatly ordered. Order was something every von Karma, even an adopted one, understood instinctively. And after the last spoon had been deposited into its proper slot, there was nothing left to do but talk.

"Are you going to go?" Franziska asked, her voice hard.

"I don't know," Edgeworth admitted. "I don't want to… I don't want to hear anything he has to say, and I don't have anything to say to him. But I know if I don't go, I'll always regret it." He sighed. "I _really_ don't need any more regrets."

"Ja…" Franziska agreed, fingering her whip.

"I suppose you're going."

"Of course. I… couldn't not. Even though I do not want to see it. It is like you said. If I did not go, I would regret it. It would all feel…unfinished. Somehow. And!" She scowled furiously. "I am not so weak to be scared off by something like this. Der Teufel soll mich holen, wenn..." She trailed off. "Alte Landsau."

"Ja," Edgeworth agreed. "And that's why we need to go, I think. To show the alte Landsau we're not afraid of him."

"I never was!" Franziska snapped, her whip hand tensing automatically.

"I was."

"Fool," she snapped.

"Perhaps. But I am not perfect, Franziska. No one is. No one can be."

Her forehead creased and her face couldn't quite seem to settle on an expression. "Ich-"

Whatever she was going to say, and Edgeworth knew better then to hope it would be an epiphany, it was interrupted by a rhythmic knock on the door. "Shave and a haircut," to be specific. Edgeworth winced, already certain who it was going to be.

Franziska followed him out of the kitchen and hung back in the living room as he answered the door. For all her faults, Franziska knew she was rarely the person people wanted to see. And she used that to her advantage.

"Hello Maya," Edgeworth said, before he even saw her. "Won't you come in?"

"You're damn right I will!" Maya exclaimed. She was riled up about something…and Edgeworth was afraid he knew what. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"I'm sure you do." He sighed resignedly, shutting the door behind the girl as she stalked into the house. She caught sight of Franziska, in her usual 'prepared to strike' pose, and shot a significant glance at Edgeworth.

"_Alone_."

"Anything you have to say to my brother, you can say in front of me!" Even Franziska's voice was like a whip sometimes.

Maya raised her eyebrows at Edgeworth. "That so?"

"It's fine," Edgeworth said. She didn't know anything anyway.

"All right, if you say so." Maya folded her arms and glared at him. "Why don't you just tell Nick you love him?"

There was a horrible frozen moment. Miles felt a groan escape his lips, luckily it was mostly hidden when Franziska raised her arm, pointed at him, and screeched. No words, just primal shock and outrage.

"Nein! Nein! My brother is not ein Hinterlader!"

"Franziska!" he warned. "Sei nicht so primitiv!"

"I will be crude if I_want_ to! This- this _Miststück_-"

"Franzisca!"

"She works for the man that shamed the von Karma name, and now she comes here with these baseless accusations!"

"They're…" He ground his teeth. "They're not baseless."

Franziska stared at him.

"I knew it!" Maya squealed. "I totally knew it! I mean, okay, I didn't know it until _recently_ because honestly it never crossed my mind before, I don't have a lot of experience with this stuff you know? But when I finally figured it out it made so much _sense_! Ohmigosh." She clasped her hands in front of her and beamed. "When are you going to tell him? Can I help? I've seen a lot of great love confessions on TV and-"

"He already knows," Edgeworth interrupted. "And I don't see how it's any of your business anyway. Especially since nothing is going to come of it."

Maya blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I never had any intention of-" his lip curled in distaste "_dating_ Wright. I was very drunk when I told him, and I'd just received…somewhat disturbing news." A flicker of pain shot through his chest, and Edgeworth grabbed his arm in a nervous gesture. "Wright does not return my…infatuation. I know that. I would never intentionally try to cause him discomfort. At least," he amended, "outside of court."

Maya was frowning. "What ever gave you the idea Nick doesn't feel the same way?"

"You mean aside from the fact that he has dated women in the past?"

"Only one that I know of, and _she_ was batshit crazy." Her scowl deepened. "And I'm allowed to say that because she was family."

"I don't see what that has to do with-"

"I'm just _saying_! The past doesn't matter, what he feels _now_ is what's important! And Nick loves you, I'm sure of it!"

There was an uncomfortable flutter in Edgeworth's chest. "How?"

"Because he was very careful about not telling me he wasn't. I can see lies, remember? If he'd said he didn't have any feelings for you, and psyche-locks popped up, well that would be as good as an admission wouldn't it?"

Edgeworth found himself grabbing the back of the couch for support. "I… I see…"

"So you should totally go tell him! And let me watch!"

"I told you, I_already_ told him."

She waved a hand, brushing his objections aside. "You were wasted, that doesn't count. And this time, he'll get to say it back!"

Edgeworth shook his head. "I don't want that…"

"Why wouldn't you?"

Edgeworth groaned again and rubbed his temples. No wonder Wright let this girl drag him all over the city. She could crumble mountains with her cheerfulness.

Something struck him as off then, and it took a moment to realize what. Franziska. She had been uncharacteristically quiet through this whole exchange. Not even muttered German profanity. She was standing, frozen, still in the same spot, although her eyes were fixed firmly on the carpet. Thinking, or maybe listening.

"Franziska?"

"Why _him_?" she mumbled. "Why him, of all people?"

Edgeworth thought carefully about how to answer that. "You see him as the man who destroyed the von Karma name… I see him as the man who saved my life."

"Ah. But…" She looked up at him, with lost eyes. "Er geht mir auf den Sack."

Edgeworth felt the corners of his mouth pull upward. "I know. He can be a pain. But he doesn't do it on purpose. He's just _that_ clueless."

"You really love him?"

"It doesn't matter, because I'm not going to be pursuing him in any way. He knows that. He even _mocked_ me about it." Edgeworth frowned. "Although…if what Maya says is true… then maybe he really meant what he…"

"Hey, Franny," Maya said. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"My _name_ is Franziska von Karma," Franziska sniffed. "And _you_ will address me as Prosecutor von Karma, or Ma'am."

"Yeah, no, I really don't think I will." Her eyes narrowed. "What did you call me earlier? Do I need to beat you up?"

Franziska laughed haughtily. "You! As if you could!"

"Students of the Kurain school are taught martial arts as a form of meditation," Maya said simply. "I thought you researched us."

Franziska's eyes flashed, and her hand tightened around her whip. "You _dare_-"

"Maya," Edgeworth interrupted, not wanting a catfight in the middle of his living room. Especially not one involving Franziska. When she got angry, her aim deteriorated dangerously. "You're…a straightforward girl."

"Yup!" Maya agreed. Franziska muttered something about that being a polite way of putting it, but the other two ignored her.

"Then, may I ask your opinion on something?"

"Anything!"

"If you had to go somewhere…do something, rather distasteful… Something that would dredge up a lot of bad memories… But you knew that if you did not do it, you would always wonder, always regret it…"

"Yes," Maya answered.

Edgeworth took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Yes you would go?"

"Yes I would go. _And_," she looked at him seriously, "yes I would invite Nick."

"I see." He stared at the couch thoughtfully.

"So hey!" Maya snapped him out of his reverie. "Are you gonna give me a ride or what?"

"What?" Edgeworth blinked.

"A ride! Back to Nick's office! I had to take like three buses to get here, but from there it's just a straight shot to my boarding house! Plus," she grinned like a cat. "I've been _dying_ to take a ride in that red hot car of yours. So you'll give me a ride, right? You can drop Franny off along the way!"

"My _name_ is Franziska von Karma!"

"So let's go!"

Edgeworth opened his mouth to say no. He was certain of that, he could feel his mouth preparing to shape the word, but somehow what came out was, "Okay."

"Great!" Maya bounced back out the door, long sleeves flapping.

Franziska moved forward to stand beside her brother. "One word. I'm sure there's_something_ in her past we can book her for. If nothing else, I could have her microchipped."

"No, I don't think so."

"What, because Phoenix Wright would never forgive you?"

"No." He sighed. "Because she doesn't deserve it."

Franziska sniffed. "Says you. I'm still having another transmitter made."

"Fine. Good luck catching her off-guard the way you did Gumshoe." He grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door and followed Maya. "You coming?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Entirely possible."

She sighed. "Wait for me."

…………………………………………

Maya had said not to leave. Phoenix didn't think she was going to succeed in…whatever she planned to do, but, well, it wasn't like he had anywhere better to be. He took a few phone calls, did some paperwork, stared wistfully at Mia's books, and then, finally, he heard the clatter of Maya's sandals coming down the hallway.

"I'm back!" she announced as she burst through the door.

"Clearly."

"I'm just gonna grab my backpack then I'll leave the two of you alone!"

"Two?" A figure appeared behind Maya, and Phoenix sat up. "M- Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth just nodded at him.

"Um, what-"

Maya was already back at the door. "I've gotta run to catch my bus! See you tomorrow Nick! Good luck Mr. Edgeworth!"

And then Hurricane Maya was gone.

Phoenix stood up, awkwardness coming off him in waves. "Um, do you want to sit down?"

"I'll stand."

"O… Okay…" Phoenix fiddled with the papers on his desk. "Um, sorry about Maya, by the way."

"You don't have to apologize for her. She's not your responsibility."

"I guess not, but I feel like someone has to."

Edgeworth's mouth twitched, just enough for Phoenix to relax.

"So what brings you here? Aside from Maya?"

"I…" Edgeworth seemed to suddenly be very interested in the woodgrain of the doorframe. "I have a favor to ask of you, Wright." He took a steadying breath. "Something that may make you… very uncomfortable."

AN:

Finally rewritten! I like it a lot better now. And there are at least two more chapters to come. The next chapter will reveal something that's, we;;, probably not that hard to figure out. And also contradicts the game canon, but makes for a better story on my part. So screw it.


	4. Ozymandias

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4. ****Ozymandias**

Edgeworth's car pulled up in front of the office building at 4 PM sharp on Friday. Phoenix had seen it circle the block twice already, but he decided not to mention it as soon as he caught a glimpse of Edgeworth's face.

"Are you sure you're all right to drive?" he said instead.

Edgeworth moved his glare from the road to Phoenix's face. "I haven't been drinking."

"Oh." Phoenix paused. "Why not?"

Edgeworth actually seemed to consider it. "I have enough trouble facing this man sober."

"Understandable. I only met him a few times, but…"

A brief smirk. "You hated him, didn't you?"

"More then I ever thought I _could_ hate someone." Phoenix examined Edgeworth's expression carefully. "Did you… I mean, we've never really talked about what happened."

"And we're not going to," Edgeworth said, firmly. "Not today, at least…"

"But we are going to talk, right?"

"Yes. There are things I need to say to you, and I think you have things to say to me as well."

"You could put it like that."

Edgeworth pulled out into the road with exaggerated calm, his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white.

"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes." Edgeworth's voice was flat, controlled. "A few. I've been involved in cases where…I just wanted to see it to the end. See, with my own eyes, that justice was done."

Phoenix nodded thoughtfully. "I know what you mean."

"Do you?" Edgeworth almost laughed.

"You remember Matt Enguarde."

"Oh… Yes." Edgeworth eased carefully into the next lane. "But he wasn't executed…per se."

"No. But I went and saw the body." Phoenix stared down at his hands. "I'm still not entirely sure if I should have. I wanted to know for certain that he was dead… but I still sometimes dream about his face. All scarred and pale…and those scratches on his neck." He shivered. "He was a terrible person, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

"To wish death on someone is as good as killing them yourself." Edgeworth met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "Is that what you mean?"

"I think so… I don't know if I wanted him dead, so much as I wanted him _gone_. Just… away. Out of my life and out of the lives of everyone I care about." 

"Hmm."

Silence stretched between them. Phoenix knew what he wanted to ask, but he just couldn't. Not while Edgeworth held his life in his hands. Those knuckles were still a couple shades too light.

"Also!" Phoenix was a little surprised to hear his own voice. "Er, that is… I used to save the articles about you. When I was in college. I saw…you prosecuted some big cases. Some really disturbing stuff. So I might not know _exactly_ how you feel, but I can imagine." He considered that statement. "Except for now, I mean. I can't imagine how you feel now at all."

"You will," Edgeworth said, flat again.

"I will?"

"I looked it up, a few days ago." His eyes flickered toward Phoenix, then back at the road. "Redd White. His execution is set for three months from now."

"Oh…" Phoenix swallowed hard. "I- I don't know. I mean… Oh god." He shook his head. "I don't have anything to say to him."

"Maybe not, but don't you want to see it to the end? Witness justice with your own eyes?"

It was several minutes before Phoenix collected his thoughts enough to answer. "I don't want him to die. I just want Mia alive again."

Silence, again. Phoenix glanced at Edgeworth once, and saw that he'd ducked his head so that his bangs hid most of his face.

"Life isn't fair, Wright," Edgeworth said softly.

"No," Phoenix agreed. "It's not."

Neither man spoke until they reached the state prison, twenty minutes later.

Edgeworth had to give his name to three guards and both he and Phoenix had to empty their pockets and sign four clipboards before they were led down an industrial gray hallway and down a flight of concrete stairs. At the end of another hallway and some complicated doors, they found a small green waiting room filled with stone-faced people.

Franziska was in a corner, without her whip for once, fiddling absentmindedly with one glove. She was staring firmly at the wall and ignoring the woman beside her, who looked so much like her that she could only be her sister. The rest of the people were older, mostly male, and a good half of them looked like they were trying not to smile.

"Anyone you know?" Phoenix murmured.

"Colleagues. He didn't have friends." Edgeworth nodded at the third and final female in the room. "And the lawyer who prosecuted his appeal."

She was a short young woman with coffee-colored skin and the type of curves that would have been in fashion fifty years ago. She had a clip shaped like a bat in her hair, and was wearing far more fishnet then Phoenix would have thought safe for visiting a prison. When she saw Edgeworth she rose to her feet and crossed the room, high heels clacking on the linoleum.

"Good to see you, Mr. Edgeworth," she greeted him. The words were polite, but her tone was familiar.

"You as well, Ms. Chirop." Edgeworth gestured to his companion. "Tera Chirop, Phoenix Wright. Wright, this is Tera Chirop, the best appeals attorney in the state."

"You flatter me, Mr. Edgeworth," her smile was subdued. She offered a fingerless-gloved hand for Phoenix to shake. "Mr. Wright, I've heard good things."

"You have the advantage of me, then," Phoenix admitted, sheepishly.

"That's to be expected. Appeals aren't newsmaking, for the most part. And you're a defense attorney. Once you get your client off, that's the end of it. The only client of yours who got convicted… well, he didn't make it to his appeal."

"Yeah…" Something Edgeworth had said registered in Phoenix's mind. "Wait, you prosecuted von Karma's appeal? So who defended him?"

"He did, of course." Another subdued smile. "He would never stand to have what he thought of as a lesser being represent him."

"But if he's being executed, then does that mean he lost?"

"That's right."

Phoenix felt himself starting to smile for real, but squashed it. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be. It was inevitable. Appeals court is very different from what Mr. von Karma was used to. Not to mention he was already shaken from having lost once. Really, what it all boiled down to was that he did not intimidate me." She tilted her black cat's-eye glasses and looked up at Phoenix. "And I believe we have that in common, you and I."

"Not really." Phoenix laughed weakly. "He intimidated the _hell_ out of me. It's just that… I was fighting for something I… couldn't lose."

Tera glanced, once, at Edgeworth, and the corners of her mouth twitched. "I see."

Edgeworth had the grace to look uncomfortable. "Will you excuse me for a moment? I should speak with Franziska and Ingrid."

"Of course," Tera said.

"Sure," Phoenix agreed.

They watched him go.

"Would you like to sit down?" Tera gestured at the chair she'd vacated. There was an entire row of them empty, most people having chosen to stand in clumps around the room.

"Oh, sure." A strange place and a strange person. Phoenix had been in the situation before, but never quite like this… "So," he said awkwardly. "Do you, uh, always come to the executions of prisoners you've prosecuted?"

"Yes," Tera said, surprising Phoenix with the steel in her voice. "Always."

"Really?"

She nodded curtly. "Appeals court is, as I said, different from the one you take part in. In the court of law you are searching for the truth. That's what it's all about, really. You find the truth, no matter what it may be. And that is admirable. But in appeals court… we seek justice." Her eyes went distant. "You are not responsible for what you find out in the course of your investigations. I, on the other hand, must use my own judgment to decide what I believe is an appropriate punishment for the people I face in court. It is not simply about what they have done, it is about who they are. Whether they might do it again. If they could be a danger to others. I have to figure that out on my own, and make my choice." Tera shook her head, and seemed to come back to the present. "So, yes, I always go to these executions. I need to see for myself the weight of my decisions…so that I do not ever forget that it is a person's life I am toying with."

Phoenix stared at her.

Tera made an awkward face. "I'm sorry. I went off on a bit of a rant there. Is this your first time?"

"Yeah…"

"What was your relation to Mr. von Karma? Other then the trial?"

"It was…uh, just the trial, actually." Phoenix thought carefully. "I don't have any… personal reason to want to see him executed. But he hurt Edgeworth. He hurt Edgeworth in ways I can't even begin to imagine. So when he asked me to come with him, what could I do?"

"Admirable," Tera said again.

"No," Phoenix disagreed. "It's selfish."

"It's selfish to be there for a friend when he needs you?"

"It's selfish to do so only because you're hoping it will lead to being more then friends."

It wasn't until Tera's eyes widened that Phoenix realized he'd said it out loud.

"Oh…shit."

"I won't say anything," Tera said, a bit too quickly. "It's just surprising, that's all." She smiled wryly. "Does he, ah, does he know your motives?"

"Yeah. We're going to talk after. Look," he glanced around the room and lowered his voice. "I shouldn't have told you that. I don't know why I did."

"You're about to watch a man die, Mr. Wright. It's perfectly understandable if you're a little emotionally vulnerable."

He grimaced. "Just don't tell Edgeworth I told you. He doesn't like acknowledging that he has feelings _at all_, much less for me."

"Don't worry. I don't see Mr. Edgeworth that often, and I don't think we know many of the same people. It won't be an issue."

"Okay then." Phoenix glanced at the clock on the wall, and made up his mind. "Can I ask you something? Something kind of personal?"

"I suppose it's only fair."

"Do you really think Manfred von Karma deserves to die?"

Tera looked down at her hands, folded primly in her lap, and when she spoke it was so quiet Phoenix had to lean in to hear her.

"I do. Not only because he killed a man, but because he hid it. He kept the secret for years. He took in the man's _son_ and twisted him into something his father would never have wanted him to be. He manipulated an already-unbalanced elderly man into committing another murder, and then he framed that same young man, who looked up to him as a mentor. I have spoken to Mr. von Karma. I have spoken to Mr. von Karma's children. I have spoken to Miles Edgeworth and Yanni Yogi and _dozens_ of people he has worked with over the years. I really truly believe that man should die… so that he cannot hurt anyone again."

Tera took a deep breath, which with the fishnet would have been very interesting to Phoenix a few years ago.

"Sorry. It hurts to say that sometimes. I believe that if you want someone to die you should be willing to take their life with your own hands. But it _should_ hurt. It should not be easy to want that."

"I agree," Phoenix said. "This whole thing is…getting to me, I think. I understand now why Miles drank himself into insensibility a couple weeks ago."

Tera chuckled. "I never drink alone, for just that reason."

"There's something else…"

"Oh?"

"Were you involved in the case of a woman named Dahlia Hawthorne?"

Tera blinked, and her expression went blank. "Ah."

"What?"

"I thought your name was familiar from before…"

"You were then?"

"I was," she nodded. "But only at the end. There was a long battle, drawn out over many years, and I was brought in about a year ago because no one else could handle it. I do not know if I am really the best appeals attorney in the state, as Mr. Edgeworth said, but I can't think of anyone better."

"So you're the one who finally got her the death penalty."

"Yes," she said. Her voice was without inflection. "I did what I believe was right. That woman was a murderer and a manipulator and may have been the closest thing to pure evil I have ever had the misfortune to encounter."

"Yes," Phoenix agreed. "She was."

Tera seemed to relax, her face assuming a natural expression again. "You understand. I was afraid…"

"No. I may have thought I loved her, once, but half the time it wasn't her, and the other half I was being used." He bit the inside of his lip. "She didn't even let death stop her…"

"I heard about that," Tera said. "It's a terrifying thought."

"You should have been there."

"I think I'm glad I wasn't."

There was a sudden hush as half a dozen conversations all wound down at once. Phoenix glanced at the clock and felt the blood drain from his face. It was time.

Scared as he was, Phoenix got to his feet without thinking and crossed the room to stand beside Edgeworth.

No one said anything.

A man in a guard uniform appeared through the doorway, asked them all to come in and take a seat. Only about a dozen went, most of the unfamiliar men apparently not important enough to warrant a place. Phoenix reminded himself to ask, afterward, why _he_ was being allowed in.

Two rows of surprisingly decent chairs, in a narrow sort of half-room. There was a window, the type with wire in it to keep it from breaking, taking up one entire wall. On the other side was a sterile room, with a chair that looked like some perverse combination of a barber's and a dentist's. No cupboards on the walls, no storage of any kind. Just that industrial gray. It wasn't a doctor's office, after all, it was a room to kill people.

Franziska and her sister took seats in the first row, the sister looking at the floor, lost in thought, Franziska staring around as though _daring_ the room to talk back at her. Edgeworth paused, just for a second, glanced at Phoenix, and then took a seat near the end of the second row. Phoenix sat beside him, last seat in the row, closest to the door, noting that Tera was directly in front of him.

And then they waited.

A few other people were talking softly. Phoenix wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn't think of what to say. After not nearly enough time (would there ever be enough?) two men in neat uniforms and white coats entered and held the door open behind them.

Manfred von Karma was escorted in, by two armed guards, his hands cuffed behind his back. Another two guards entered after them, leaving a total of six people there to be in von Karmas way.

Phoenix wondered idly if that was standard procedure, or if von Karma was just that dangerous.

He didn't look it. He was old. His hair had been cropped short at some point, and without all the frills and gold edging he seemed…smaller, somehow. But he held himself the same way he always had. Back ruler-straight, eyebrows pulled down into a permanent scowl. That damn haughty smile was nowhere in sight, but it was obvious, even now, von Karma thought he was better then everyone around him.

The guards let him go, and von Karma took his place on the disturbing chair without hesitation. The handcuffs stayed on though, and one of the men in white coats stepped up to the wall, pushed something, and the watchers could hear him.

"Does anyone have anything they'd like to say to the prisoner?"

The prisoner. Not the condemned, like in movies. Still the prisoner.

Franziska jerked to her feet, her usual sharp grace gone. She stood directly in the center of the window. From his angle, Phoenix couldn't quite see if von Karma was meeting her eyes, but he couldn't imagine him not.

She spoke, briefly, something in German. She sounded strong, but the snap was gone from her voice. Anyone who didn't know her would never have noticed it. Her father listened to her with his eyes closed, a look Phoenix recognized from court. When she was done, he opened his eyes.

"I knew the risks when I did it. My only mistake was not covering my tracks more thoroughly. You are right, Franziska. You do not understand."

"I hope I never do," Franziska said, so intense it was almost painful. She took her seat, just two steps away, and stared at absolutely nothing.

"Anyone else?" the man in the white coat asked.

Edgeworth twitched, but did not move. A few other people shifted in their seats. Tera slumped forward slightly, but Phoenix figured she had probably said everything she wanted to say to von Karma in court.

Franziska's sister sobbed, and no one made a move to comfort her.

"All right," the man said. "The prisoner will now give his final words."

Von Karma stood up, still handcuffed, still haughty. He closed his eyes and recited.

"I met a traveler from an antique land  
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone  
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,  
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown  
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command  
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read  
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,  
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.  
And on the pedestal these words appear:  
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:  
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"  
Nothing beside remains: round the decay  
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,  
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Then he sat back down. Two of the guards took off his handcuffs and strapped his arms to the arms of the chair. The man in the white coat rolled up von Karma's sleeve and cleaned a spot on his arm with a cotton ball and alcohol. A bit of irony there, but Phoenix kept his mouth shut. The other white coat, the one who hadn't spoken, had produced a syringe from somewhere. It was small, and filled with clear liquid.

He put the tip of the needle against von Karma's arm, pressed it past the skin, and pushed down the plunger.

At the last second, something in von Karma's expression changed. As he felt the needle his eyebrows drew in, and up, something like confusion drifting across his face. Then he leaned back in the chair and his eyes closed.

And then, nothing. Silence. The man in the white coat took out the needle, cleaned it off, and put it back onto the tray that it must have come from. The other man threw away the cotton ball, then put two fingers to von Karma's neck.

He nodded.

That was it.

The guard in the viewing part of the room picked up his radio, murmured something in response to something no one else had heard, then stood up straighter and moved to the other side of the door, out of the way.

"Thank you all for coming," he said. "Will the family please come with me to retrieve his effects?"

Franziska and her sister got up first, followed by Tera, and all the unfamiliar men. Edgeworth, Phoenix realized belatedly, was still staring at the room beyond the window. Phoenix couldn't force his brain to think of it as the execution chamber. The six living men had moved von Karma's body to a stretcher and covered it with a gray plastic sheet.

"Let's go," Phoenix said.

Edgeworth nodded, reaction time just a hair too slow.

He walked straight out. Signing all the appropriate forms, getting his gold pen back from the guard at the entrance. Phoenix followed, not really surprised, but wondering if he should ask anything. Did Edgeworth want to stick around and talk to anyone? What about Franziska and…what was her sister's name?

Edgeworth went straight for his car. He unlocked it, got into the front seat, and leaned his head against the steering wheel. Phoenix opened the door on the other side, but Edgeworth stopped him before he got in.

"Go away, Wright. Go stand by the entrance for a while."

"Edgeworth-"

"I know we need to talk. But I need some time to scream my head off and maybe cry hysterically. As much as I love you, and I _do_, I don't want you to see me like that. Not yet."

Phoenix blinked, stunned into silence. "O- okay. Half an hour good?"

"Sure."

Phoenix was twenty yards away when he heard the first of the muffled screams coming from the car. It was going to be a long half hour.


	5. Small Talk

**Chapter 5. Small Talk**

The ride back was…awkward, to say the least. It was silent, except for the occasional sniffle from the driver's seat, until the yellow-gray cloud that was Los Angeles from a distance filled the windshield.

"Where are we going?" Phoenix asked, bluntly. There was no better way to put it.

"I…don't know," Edgeworth admitted. "Where do you want to go?"

"Uh…" He thought quickly. "There's a park, near my apartment. So I can walk from there in case…things don't go well."

Edgeworth's eyebrow twitched, and Phoenix actually had to stifle a laugh. "You don't think things will go well?"

"I don't know _how_ things are going to go. I still remember what you said to me, before. And I know what _I_ want, but I also know it's pretty unrealistic." Phoenix shrugged. "I'm just hoping to get out of this without getting punched."

Edgeworth looked at him in the rearview mirror. "Is what you want _that_ unreasonable?"

"Considering it's _you_ I want it with? Yes."

"Hn." Edgeworth stared at the road. "I guess we'll see."

"I guess."

Phoenix was having to fight a lot of urges today. This time, it was to sigh and tug at his hair. This was all so _frustrating_. Up until a few weeks ago, the possibility of having a relationship with Edgeworth had been…laughable. Now it was a viable option, possible, even _likely_, but it was being kept out of his grasp by the man himself. Who, if Maya's testimony and his own drunken ramblings were any indication, wanted it just as much as Phoenix did, but was denying himself out of some kind of martyr complex.

Frustrating.

"Park" was a strong word, Phoenix had to admit. It looked like somebody's lawn, albeit bigger then a house. Grass, a couple trees, and two benches. There was a playground at one end, and someone had once tried to put in a duck pond. All that remained now was a concrete bowl with a few dead leaves and a skateboard wheel in the bottom.

There were a couple of benches though, abandoned for once. Edgeworth made his way to the nearest one, waking barely a step ahead of Phoenix, enough to lead the way but close enough not to be rude. That seemed to be important, at the moment.

Edgeworth stopped dead in front of the bench, hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched. He made no move to sit, or turn around.

"What do you want?" he said, finally.

"You," Phoenix answered, without even thinking about it.

Edgeworth drew his shoulders almost up to his ears, as though trying to hide. "Wright-"

"To be with you," he clarified. "In a relationship. A real one. With kissing and cuddling and…intimate encounters. And talking too, of course. Spending time together. Hell, I think I would settle just for that. That was… That's what I've been wanting since you disappeared, all those years ago. Just to be near you again."

Edgeworth didn't relax one iota. "I had no idea you were such a romantic, Wright," he said dryly.

"I've had a lot of time to think about this. That sounded cheesy as hell though, didn't it?"

"You could put it that way."

Phoenix pushed his fingers through his hair. There had to be some way to make this work… "The thing is, I've had… I guess you could call it a crush, on you since you, uh, 'came back from the dead.'"

Edgeworth froze for a second, then he actually turned his head and looked at Phoenix. "That long?"

"Well, that was when I realized. Before then… I've cared about you for years now, you know that. I've always thought of you as a friend. The first time I was attracted to you," he smirked sheepishly, "was the first time I saw your picture in the paper. But at the time I didn't really know I was into guys, so I didn't think about it too hard. When I finally met you in court all I could think about was how much you had changed. I'm not sure when exactly my feelings crossed the line from friendship into…more, but when you came swooping in to save the day during the Enguarde case." He laughed. "I was so stressed out. I was worried about Maya, I hadn't been sleeping. And then you! I didn't know whether to punch you or kiss you. It's probably a good thing I was too stunned to do either."

"Probably…" Edgeworth agreed. He dropped his eyes back to the ground.

"After that, I didn't worry about it too much. I knew, well, I _believed_ that you would never return my feelings, so I kept quiet about it. I enjoyed the few times you showed you at least were concerned about my well-being, and I _never_ stopped thinking of you as a friend, but until you showed up in my apartment a couple weeks ago… I really didn't think, not once, that you might feel the same way." Phoenix shrugged. "That's why I don't know what to do here."

He walked around the immobile Miles and threw himself on the bench.

"Your turn."

Miles was silent for a long moment. "October 19th, 2012."

Phoenix thought back. "That was…the last day of the Steel Samurai case." He frowned. "You told me you didn't want to see me again."

"Yes." Miles finally let his shoulders sag. "Because I didn't want to feel what I felt for you. I thought I understood the world. I thought I knew how to be strong. You reminded me of a time when I believed something very different. I… I liked those times. And even while I was rebelling against it, a part of me wanted to become the person I used to be, once again. So I tried to push you away. I thought it had worked… And then… Christmas Day…"

Phoenix smiled. "You know, the very first thought I had when I heard you'd been arrested was that I had to help you. There was no question in my mind. There wouldn't be now, either."

"Don't be so sure." Miles sighed and sunk onto the bench. "I'm better then I was. I understand myself, my life, even my feelings. But I miss the control I used to have. Nothing happened without me knowing, because the only other person even slightly close to me could be trusted without question… even if he could only be trusted to be a bumbling fool."

Phoenix blinked. "Gumshoe? Is that why you let him help you with everything? Because he's…"

"Predictable," Miles finished. "Yes. He's not stupid, not excessively so, but he's _simple_. Easy to understand, easy to control. You aren't. The way I feel about you isn't. I do my best to keep my emotions hidden, but I _do_ have them."

"You're scared?"

"Not quite… Maybe a little. More wary. I'm not happy, Wright, I'm not going to lie. But I'm… I'm a lot better then I was a few years ago. I suppose I am afraid, of losing that equilibrium."

"You really think being with me will set you back that much?"

"Yes, actually." Miles leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I know it sounds cliché, but it's not you. It's me. You and I have both had some truly awful things happen to us, but you always spring back."

"Barely," Phoenix muttered. "I don't dwell on things, and that seems to help. But every once in a while I look at Mia's books or some pictures from college and I… I just feel… like the world is a dark and dreary place. I think that's why I let people push me around so much. Most of the people I know have a brighter outlook then I do."

"You do seem to surround yourself with positive-minded people," Miles agreed. "You might be surprised to know, but I like Maya quite a bit."

"She's hard not to like," Phoenix laughed. "She just never stops."

"Most people don't. It's just that Maya never stops looking for fun, while I… never stop fighting." Miles stared at his hands. "Fighting my feelings. Fighting with people. I'm on guard all that time and… I'm tired. I don't want to feel like this anymore."

Phoenix leaned closer. _Careful… Careful…_ "So stop. Stop fighting."

"I don't know _how_." It was almost pained.

There was really only one appropriate response to that. Phoenix took the other man's chin in one hand and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

It was brief, just a soft press of lips. Enough for Phoenix to make his point. He pulled back, slowly, keeping his body close and resting his hand on Miles shoulder. "Gonna hit me?"

Miles was staring at the empty park, apparently stunned. "Not…just yet."

"Good."

"I was… not expecting that."

Phoenix leaned back, satisfied that he'd made the desired impression. "You need to watch more movies. In fact, that sounds like a plan. We'll get some beer and some videos and make an evening of it."

Miles blinked, and shook his head to clear the cobwebs out of it. "Are you…asking me out?"

"Just a suggestion. Besides, we don't have to do anything but sit there. If nothing else, it'll be a chance to see if you remember how to relax."

"Hn. I don't know…"

"If you like, I could call Larry. He should have been dumped by his latest girl by now."

Miles winced. "No, that's all right."

Phoenix laughed.

"The things is, I- I have to get to the office. I…" He checked his watch. "Still have thirty minutes, but given the circumstances I don't think anyone would mind if I was late."

Phoenix was staring at him. "Given the circumstances, I don't think anyone would expect you to come in at all!"

"I like working," Miles said primly. "It… helps me take my mind off things."

"Well, so will beer and movies."

Miles stared at the sidewalk.

"Or… brandy?"

Miles perked up. "As long as I choose the brand."

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AN:

The End!

I may write another fic that is a direct sequel to this one, and explores the relationship a bit more, but for now I think this is it. I have one more story to finish on y!gallery, then I should either get back to focusing on my Zelda stories or...we'll see. I don't know.

I enjoyed writing this story, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it!


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